Probably No Pagano

John Pagano will be retained by the Chargers.  I don't know about his contract terms, but he's probably locked in even if he wants to leave.

Where this leaves the Browns in the defensive coordinator dept., I don't know.  I do know that Dick Jauron is, at the moment, still under contract.  As before, I believe he should stay.

But it seems that Chud has been influenced by Pagano, and by his first head coach, Bill Belichick.  I believe he wants a hybrid defense like theirs, which leaves Dick out.

And after further research, I now understand that this is what they really mean.  Not a 4-3, but not neccessarily a 3-4 either.  The Ravens and the Patriots run hybrids.  The Steelers run a 3-4.  They're different.

Chud is talking about a defense which, put simply, is flexible and adaptable.  Call it the UFO defense, or the whatever works defense.  This is what Pagano does.

In the first place, a base defense means much less today than it did a decade ago, because sub-packages are on the field over 60% of the time.

Pagano, like Belichick, likes multiple fronts.  Sometimes there are two down linemen, sometimes five...occasionally only one.

Two DE/LB hybrids and one real nose tackle are needed for the whole to work like it should.  Any good true middle or inside linebackers fill multiple roles, but take up the inside of the 3-4.  Then you need two DT/DE hybrids for DE's in the 3-4.

But the system STARTS OUT flexible, so that if some of the 3-4 parts are missing, you simply figure out how best to get your best five to seven players on the field as much as you can.

It is indeed pretty sophisticated, but the underlying principle is this:

Priority 1: Get your best players on the field.
Priority 2: Put them in positions to let them do what they do best (and exploit matchups).

As I've mentioned before, the current Browns roster may already have most of the pieces to run a 3-4, but Pagano, or anybody like him, wouldn't do what I suggested (before I did my homework).

I come back to Bill Belichick.  He came here and determined that MDP was not suitable to play nose tackle, so he changed his system to let him attack and penetrate.

Note: Yes MDP did complain and ask to be traded later, but this was because of the system.  He was targeted for double-teams and had no one to take a blocker off him.  Bill simply felt it would be stupid to run a 4-3 with the other guys he had, and doesn't like selfish players.

Anyway, he saw Clay Matthews and made the most of him as well.  At first, he was a de-facto lineman because he stood at the line of scrimmage in the tight end's face.  This was technicly a 4-3.

If someone LIKE Pagano comes here, they'll see 75% of a 4-3 defensive line, because Frostee Rucker is more a 3-4 than a 4-3 DE.  He might, in fact, see more of a 3-4 defensive line in which he could leave Rucker where he is, Rubin, Hughes, or Taylor where they are, and try Taylor and Winn at strong side defensive end.

Stifle the kneejerk reactions to that last part.  3-4 defensive ends don't have the same containment responsibilities as the 4-3 type, and are by definition inside rushers who line up inside the tackles.  They need good range and the ability to shed blocks, which both these guys have.

Now, he might look at Sheard and see...well...

Pundits are talking about how he couldn't fit, but scouts at the combine were testing him at OLB.  Sheard may or may not be able to play that position, but a Coach like one of these guys would try to find a place for him anyway, and might well modify the scheme to make it happen.

He'd see Jackson and the rookie with three names as his inside linebackers, Gocong as an outside and situational inside guy (Gocong was a sackmaster defensive END in college, ya know), and take a hard look at Auston English, who has the size and passrushing ablilty to play outside in this scheme.

Beyond those two, this roster is short on potential 3-4 OLB's and DE's, but neck deep in nose tackles and inside linebackers.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Maybe they keep Jauron I hope.